Paris's iconic Moulin Rouge has proved an inspiration to many filmmakers down the years, including the likes of Jean Renoir, Baz Luhrmann and Woody Allen, who were all clearly fascinated by the venue's vibrant cabaret act and reputation as the home of the modern can-can. You would have to go all the way back to 1928 to witness one of cinema's earliest (if not the earliest) brush with the Moulin Rouge, although the scenes of the dancing girls bare little resemblance to the famous hangout. German-born director Ewald Andre Dupont made films in both Hollywood and London, and is perhaps best known for Variete and Piccadilly, but he also made this little-seen melodrama, filmed at Elstreet Studios, in 1928.The star attraction at the city's most popular hangout is undoubtedly Parysia (Olga Tschechowa), a striking lady who performs to an adoring crowd on a nightly basis, dazzling the audience with songs, dances and shakes of her feathers. She is over the moon when she receives a letter from her daughter Margaret (Eve Gray) announcing her pending arrival. Parysia hasn't seen her child for a few years since she left for boarding school, and she's all grown up with a new man at her side. That man is Andre (Jean Bradin), who believes that he's met the perfect partner until he witnesses his future mother-in-law's stage performance for the first time. Andre falls in love, and declares his feelings to the shocked Parysia, who is determined to see her daughter happy by setting off to persuade Andre's stern, rich father than Margaret is worthy, despite his distaste for the goings-on at the Moulin Rouge.Dupont's forgotten silent is a strange beast. It is essentially a rather relentless melodrama with little insight into human behaviour, which climaxes with a breathtaking high-speed car chase that would put many modern-day blockbusters to shame. At the film's centre is the odd love triangle between mother, daughter and a handsome charmer, but Dupont ignores the fact that Parysia would realistically want her offspring as far away from this letch as soon as possible once he declares his undying love for the mother of his fiancee. For a movie entitled Moulin Rouge, there's very little of what the venue is best known for, aside from a bit of uncomfortable black-face. From a technical standpoint, it is absolutely wonderful, with the director making full use of his leading star with close-ups and effective camera movements. Tschechowa is a legend of silent cinema, and it isn't difficult to understand why she was courted by the likes of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. For the most part, this is pretty dull stuff, but the climax will leave you breathless and hugely impressed.

Everyone knows E.A. Dupont's Variety (1925) even in Paramount's somewhat abbreviated USA version on a rather dark but quite watchable 7/10 Grapevine DVD. Karl Freund's astounding photography combined with the noirish script, Janning's powerful Boss Huller, Lya de Putti's sensual Bertha and Warwick Ward's spivy Artinelli - all molded into an atmosphere maelstrom by E.A. Dupont - make this one an absolutely rivetting must-see! But I regard Dupont's Moulin Rouge (1928) as the better movie. It is also available from Grapevine in a 7/10 - no, make that an 8/10 DVD because it does have the original music and sound effects track plus the run-out music. This one stars that absolutely gorgeous Russian, Olga Tschechowa, as the mother who quite puts her movie daughter, Australian actress, Eve Gray, in the shade. If the movie is somewhat predictable in plot, it is always brilliantly off-beat in both its montage and directorial style, thanks to the charismatic genius of writer/producer/director (and no doubt supervising film editor) Dupont. The musical interludes are an intrinsic part of the plot. Here they are breathtakingly realized right from the night-montage opening to the dramatic conclusion.

"Moulin Rouge" is the sort of film you simply must accept for what it is--a modestly entertaining but silly film. It has the sort of plot that seems rather old fashioned and filled with holes.When the film begins, a famous stage actress from the famed Moulin Rouge is thrilled to have a visit from her daughter. It seems the young lady is planning on getting married and the mother is happy for the couple. However, later when the mother is alone with the girl's fiancé, he suddenly declares his love for the mother! Weird, I know...and where all this goes is a bit far-fetched. It is exciting but kind of silly.This film brings up lots of problems: why didn't the mother tell her daughter that the boyfriend was a creepy guy and why did the nightclub look NOTHING like anything from the Moulin Rouge (after all, everyone here had lots of clothes)? And, for that matter, why a black-face number?! It all is kind of silly (and a tad offensive) but did have really nice camera-work.

I watched the Grapevine video edition of Moulin Rouge, and their old tapes are not particularly known for excellent video transfers or scores. However after about the first 15 minutes, in which we are treated to some rather frenzied nightlife location shots in Paris, the main characters are finally introduced and the action quickly gets steamy, thanks in no small part to the chemistry between Olga Tschechowa and the male lead, Jean Bradin, which is immediate and compelling.The story involves a love triangle between mother - daughter - prospective son-in-law. The daughter (Eve Gray) never seems to realize that her fiancée has the hots for her own mother. The audience keeps waiting for the light bulb to go off in her head, but she just charges ahead, completely trusting in her mother and young lover, with dangerous consequences.Olga Tschechowa (a paramour of Adolph Hitler) struck me very much as almost a carbon copy in looks and acting mannerisms to Pola Negri. In fact I kept visualizing Pola in this role as a I watched Olga. Olga was just as good an actress as Pola; every scene she is in your eye gravitates to her first. Effective use of close-ups and intelligent discourse between the characters, reflected in the title cards, adds to the pleasure of this sultry concoction. If you are into romantic foreign silent films this version of Moulin Rouge will prove enjoyable to you.